NBA Player News

The wrist injury forced Erden to leave Friday’s game early, but it doesn’t sound too severe. Even healthy, he’d have a big challenge against DeMarcus Cousins.

Harden is back in the Clippers’ lineup after a one-game absence. His return means that Bogdan Bogdanović will head to the bench, taking on a role that makes him a non-factor in most fantasy leagues. The Clippers’ other four starters are unchanged.

Christie is back after sitting out Thursday’s loss to the Thunder. His return will most impact Kobe Sanders and Jordan Miller, as their playing time should decrease. None of these players needs to be rostered in redraft leagues.

McConnell was sizzling-hot off the bench in this one, draining 8-of-10 from the floor with his only two misses coming on three-point attempts, as he did his best to keep Indiana within shouting distance.

Drummond has started the last two games with Joel Embiid (illness) out. The 32-year-old center only played 23 minutes Saturday in the second game of a back-to-back compared to the 32 minutes he played Friday. Drummond was still productive with 12 rebounds, but only had six points after dropping 14 points and three three-pointers Friday. He’s still a solid streamer when Embiid misses time.

Pritchard shouldered the loin share of the scoring workload with franchise cornerstone Jaylen Brown sitting out due to illness, hoisting a team-high 24 shots and knocking down 4-of-9 from three-point range. The 27-year-old sharpshooter eclipsed the 30-point plateau for the first time since going off for a season-high 42 points back on November 30. He’s averaging 16 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists over the past two weeks, delivering sixth-round fantasy value during that span. The Celtics are back in action on Monday when they host the floundering Pacers.

Ingram exceeded the 20-point plateau for the seventh time in eight games since the start of December as he continues to carry Toronto’s offense. The 28-year-old is averaging 28.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 0.8 steals over the past two weeks, contributing third-round fantasy value during that sample size. The Raptors will aim to get back on track with a quick turnaround when they face the Nets on Sunday in a road matchup.